Images of Irish Non-Subscribing Churches: 33. Greyabbey

The congregation dates back to the 1600s and has had an often controversial history. The minister in 1798, the Rev James Porter, was hanged in that year because of his support for the United Irishmen. His successor, the Rev John Watson, faced a concerted attempt by a conservative faction to seize control of his meeting-house. His successor, Rev William Hall, held a successful fundraising visit to the USA in the 1850s to rebuild the church in 1862. A radical in his theology he later led the congregation into the Presbytery of Antrim.